Sometimes when Mckennie's national teammates are not up to par, they can make his job more difficult than it should be. Mckennie plays at the highest level and he doesn't have a problem at club. I think one Trapp/Taylor/whomever else knows how to play at that level we will see a better midfield.
The #usmnt was back at work on Thursday in its third full day in Lyon. Kenny Saief has departed camp with a right leg injury but Julian Green was in training and didn't look limited in the short time the press was allowed to view practice. pic.twitter.com/LZ4XHoI7ch— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) June 7, 2018
Lost in all the CM related talk, is a discounting of the budding chemistry between Parks & Adams. .@keaton_parks catching @tyler_adams14 off guard 😂 pic.twitter.com/bknVJHHiVJ— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) June 6, 2018
McKennie was a "spot" player this year. He had some good moments either side of an injury. He was NOT a week in week out, consistent minutes, regular Bundesliga player.
22 appearances and 1200 minutes despite a knee injury isn't too shabby, but yes, that's more spot-starter. On the other hand, he was playing for the 2nd place Bundesliga team, and plays a physical game that fits the EPL to a T. I think he could hack it.
McKennie only didn't play 5 games he was available for. He played regular minutes. Maybe not a 90 minute player every game though.
I didn't expect McKennie to look out of place. He is an equivalent player with a higher upside than the Irish players. I was pleasantly surprised that Trapp didn't look terrible. Usually, MLS midfielders don't do well when pressed in International competition; especially by European teams. He looked ok. I think that is important for him going forward. I'm trying to think of other MLS only players who have been in that situation, but we played Bradley so much I can't think of any. Adams didn't look out of place either. That is a great sign for a 19 year old kid who has only played CM in MLS for 3 months. I was thinking he would need time in Salzburg before Leipzig. And he might, but probably for only a short time. He quickly adapts to higher levels of competition. If he moves in the Winter, then plays the Spring with Salzburg, he should be ready to go for Leipzig in the 2019/2020 season. But who knows, maybe he could step right in.
If we want to get technical, which I don't have the time or inclination to do, I think you'll find that many of those minutes were in "non-essential" games or game situations. I'm not saying McKennie doesn't has a bright future. I hope he gets there but he hasn't proven that he can "cut it" as a week in week out Bundesliga starter.
If I was you I would have just said, "I meant Trapp". Strange hill to die on. Only four other teenagers played more than McKennie in the entire Bundesliga last year. And he missed like 8-10 games with injuries. One of those teenagers was Pulisic. McKennie started against Dortmund and Bayern Munich. He started against Leverkusen. Meyer's abrupt leaving certainly increased his PT, but that doesn't mean he didn't do it or didn't do well enough to keep getting sent out there.
A lot of people are blaming the midfield in this game, but I think that is such an oversimplification. With a Trapp, McKennie, Adams midfield, you lack that creative player who can get the ball to the wide mids and striker, as well as push play forward themselves and join into the attack. Adams as a CM is a presser, especially against good competition. He just doesn't have the game to circulate the ball where it needs to be and create attacking chances for teammates. McKennie brings more variety to his game, but I think its still wishful thinking to think he can function as a #10. I'm not even sure he functions best as a #8 (compared to a #6), so I certainly don't think its the right approach to think he can function as a #10. Trapp can circulate the ball to the right areas with the best of them, but his starting position in this formation is too deep to more than occasionally perform the #10 functions. But maybe we misunderstand what the game-plan is. If fans can evaluate game-plans, strengths, weaknesses, I certainly think the 1% of American coaches can do that. I'm not saying its being done well, but maybe we don't give Sarachan, Arena, Klinsmann enough credit about what their idea was. Its very possible Sarchan wanted to play a heavy press game with Adams and McKennie breaking everything up in midfield. If that was the plan, it just didn't work. Ireland played a wing-heavy game, and the times they did come through the center, their physicality got the best of Adams and Trapp. McKennie is a different story, but all three are rather young and inexperienced, Ireland's players are very experienced and play a bruising style. I don't even think they played that bad individually, as you mentioned. I just don't think the game-plan worked well for the whole midfield, and I don't think they had the needed cohesion and understanding of roles. I think the Adams/McKennie pressing double 8 look just isn't going to work in CM. Both players can still be on the field, but not in this formation. Either go with a two man CM with no #10, this same formation with a real #10 or this formation that includes a linking 8 in one of the double 8 spots.
dude, i argue here constantly that guys are getting too much hype wish almost no playing time but youre objectively wrong about mckennie. beginning last season into the early part of this he started getting those "spot" minutes youre talking about, primarily due to injuries (which is how almost every player finds his way in). but he solidified a starting spot this season. then he was injured- and the most impressive and solidifying part of his emergence is that he won his starting spot back after he returned from injury. that injury is the reason he "only" has 1200 minutes. hes a legit first teamer in the bundisliga, period.
He has played, not much but he has played. Let see what this season has stored for the kid but so far I'm hearing they are moving old wood out so he can have more playing minutes.
I.o.w. you want change. Me too. The main problem I have is with the crowd that says they were good and we just have to keep playing Adams and McKennie like this til they get used to each other and get more experience and all will be fine. That is the way we will fail to qualify again. Anyway, nobody said Sarachan didn't get his chance but it's time to go when your midfield starts to look like CR 2 - 0 USA with vertical stretches of open space a truck could drive thru.
Have you seen this article? What do you think of it? https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...regg-berhalter-be-better-choice-next-us-coach I think this is the dilemma here. Do we go with more of a possession coach or a pressing coach? Marsch brings the pressing game, Berhalter the possession game. I'd add Vermes to the discussion because I think he's more ready to coach the NT with a pressing style than Marsch is. I think there are solid points here for both, but I want to see more of a possession style. I think a possession style will yield better long-term results, and I think we will have those players for the 2026 cycle, maybe even towards the end of the 2022 cycle. I don't think we can yet play this style against the best in the world, but I think with a competent coach who implements his system well, it'll work well enough for the NT to improve on what it showed this cycle. I don't think we'd be in jeopardy of making the WC with any of those three coaches. And if we go 3 and out in the WC with that style, so what? Lets show an improvement. 2014 wasn't an improvement, at all. Klinsmann bunkered and played terrible football. We were lucky to make it out of the group. We know we aren't winning the WC in 2022, but show a clear improvement in our football, and build the team towards 2026. If we are theorizing what the Berhalter lineup looks lets say 3 years from now, what do you think about this? Adams-Glad-Palmer Brown-Acosta Durkin/McKennie-McKennie/Parks Carleton Pomykal-Sargent-Pulisic Berhalter's full-backs play almost as wing-backs, so I think Adams and Acosta would be good fits at those positions for his team. I would consider both to be above average going forward and athletically at the full-back position. Given how high his full-backs play, we need some more athletic CB's, so I think the Miazga's and Carter-Vickers types (Brooks, as well) would play more of a back up role. Glad and Palmer-Brown are the most mobile CB's we have, and I think with the #6 dropping in as a 3rd CB (McKennie/Durkin) out of possession, I think that 3 would take shape well. I wasn't sure exactly what we would do with the #6 and #8 positions. I could see two options. I think Durkin would be absolutely great for Berhalter football. He could fill the Trapp role, but with more physicality. He still would have a lot of the same passing elements that Trapp brings. I think my preferred CM pairing eventually is McKennie/Parks, which is why this becomes somewhat of an issue. Durkin would fit well, but likely isn't as good, so its hard to sort that out. I can't see McKennie not starting, so if Durkin starts, I think you have McKennie in the 8 role. I actually really like what Durkin and Parks could bring to a Berhalter midfield. I think Parks could fit the Artur role well. Parks could bring a lot of the same offense that Artur brings. Carleton would play the Higuain role as a pure #10. I think Berhalter's ideal wing combination is a speedy dribbler (Finlay) and more of an inverted wing playmaker (Meram), although he doesn't have that mix anymore. I think Pulisic would fill the Finlay role well, and I think Pomykal would fill the Meram role well, although on opposite sides of how they were used in Columbus. For the striker, I think Sargent is the closest we have to how Berhalter likes to use his strikers. Get them in the box close to goal, and finishing crosses and short-in passes.
My short answer would be that Behalter hangs Trapp out to dry at Columbus and his system would do the same with USMNT. Sarachan does it too but in a slightly different way (vide Bradley and cb's in Arena's reign). Artur was a big improvement over Tchani but look at how long it took Berhalter to figure out Tchani was problem #1. Because Durkin has a natural affinity for the long pass, I would hope he could shape it to switch field of play out of the back (like Jones did for the Klinsmann teams). His passes on the ground thru midfield can be dicey but I like the aggression. Parks tends to play defense best on the move. His stationary positioning and defense is not strong. Is he athletic and fast enough to play a "total football" mid in the middle third, always following the ball and adding favorable numbers to the pockets where the ball is? That would suit his instincts best but is that something you have in mind? Not if you already have Carleton in the 10. I"d go ----------------------------------Sargent/Jozy-----Weah/Pulisic ---Adams/Robinson--McKennie/Roldan----Delgado/Parks----Lletget/Yedlin ---------------------------------------------Trapp/Durkin ---------------------Parker/Brooks----Miazga/CCV----EPB/Glad Lots of goal scorers there with a strong central defense.
three years is a long time, but not assuming yedlin/miazga/brooks are VERY likely to be 3 of our back 4 is...a stretch (assuming health, much less being completely overtaken by glad and/or epb). i could see epb in the first team if we ever go with a 3/5 man backline but man...thats quite a leap.
What does their reputation matter? Are they Messi or Neymar? No, they are average or so players on the continent. They've proven almost nothing other than they can hack it in decent leagues. If others are better, prove it over the next couple of years and fit our style better, those players should have no definite starting role.
Having not been in the US to see the last three matches, I am wary of watching France pummel the US tomorrow. How likely with such a limited coach and roster can we withstand a superior national team, who is a contender to win the WC? All I'm seeing on these boards is what might be, not the perilous situation that the USMNT is in now. Thank goodness it's only a friendly.
It is a US C team designed to give fans a glimpse of the future. Check out the individual performances of our prospects benchmarked against the best in the world. The final result has zero value.
Finally, something I can agree with you this week, though I'd say its a C+ - B- team. Many in the group are very close to being regulars.
Are you sure we are fielding a C team? How many starters do you see missing? For sure we are missing Brooks and Pulisic, whom else are we missing that should be starting going forward?
How many of these guys were going to be on the Starting XI for Russia had we qualified? Not many, particularly with Pulisic out. We're projecting these guys as starters, and we're in a dead zone with a lot of players who are not only old, they aren't particularly talented. Not to mention, the locker room that they created was terrible, and the habits they engendered were horrible. They're toxic. Radioactive. Cancerous. We're cleaning house right now. Everything's going to be wonky. But in the meantime, we're throwing out a team of youngsters under the tutelage of a caretaker manager who is completely out of his depth. Against a favorite to win the World Cup, more-than-likely playing this close to a competitive match, at home. It may be a B minus squad, but the F minus manager makes this a C team for sure.
Right on the postage stamp! ☄️ @joshsargent prepares with @ussoccer_mnt for tomorrow's friendly against France in Lyon. 🇫🇷🇺🇸Looking sharp as a razor, Josh! 👊 pic.twitter.com/Fherp7UdpB— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) June 8, 2018